Mabel's Realm
by MagentaPixel
Summary: Mabel is trapped in the Nightmare Realm, and is forced to ally with Bill Cipher. But does Bill have the capacity to change his ways? Are the Weirdmaggeddon monsters really as evil as they seem? And what will the Pines do to get her back?
1. We'll Meet Again

\ Okay, first off, I think I agree with most of the fandom in the fact that I really wanted a redemption arc for Bill Cipher and that Mabel's character had a lot more room for development. As much as I loved her (relatable) canon shenanigans, I felt like as one of the main characters, she had so much more potential to take more of an active role. It always kind of seemed like her and Dipper were presented as complementing each other's personalities, which I like, but it seemed really unfair (especially to girl fans of the show) that as Dipper, the lead male, was solving mysteries, Mabel was chasing after some guy. So, this fic exists for two reasons: Bill's redemption, and Mabel being able to take more of an active role in her own story. Plus, I just want to laugh about Bill having to deal with Mabel, Xyler, and Craz! I'm also planning to later introduce more diverse characters other than the predominantly white cast in other chapters. With that being said, please enjoy the first chapter of Mabel's Realm!

One week. It had been one week, and they'd managed not to become apocalypse survivors, fight wax figurines and nearly be involved in gnome marriage. No portals had been opened in their basement, no triangular demons had tried to kill them, and candy hadn't come to life again. Mabel and Dipper had figured that they'd understood, tamed or killed anything that might hurt them in Gravity Falls, but no, this state of tranquility and family bonding had only lasted a week after their return. Of course. After all, they were in Gravity Falls, the weirdness capital of the world.

"Come on, Dipper!" yelled Mabel. Her brother was slacking behind, though he was running as fast as his spindly legs could carry him.

"Mabel! I'm trying! Isn't there something _you_ can do to stop the monster?" "I don't know!" Mabel yelled. "You're good with that kind of stuff!" The huge, terrifying monster had been chasing them through the woods for a few minutes. Mabel and Dipper had run after it'd held Ford in it's grimy paw, crashing through the grass and bushes of the forest. Mabel kept running, looking back where Dipper was. She began to run in his direction.

"One of us should be a distraction," Dipper panted.

"Kids! Just get out of here!" Ford was struggling in the monster's grip, kicking and turning pointlessly. He stared desperately and Mabel and Dipper.

"Right." Mabel's legs were burning, and she, more slowly than before, darted in front of the monster. "Come and get me, you gross monster creep!" The beast roared loudly, pounding its large feet onto the green grass of the forest. Anger enveloped the creature's face completely, eyes full of fury focused entirely on Mabel. She shrieked, trying to keep her pace.

"Mabel!" Dipper called, pointing to a large rock in the distance. It took her a moment, but she began to understand what her brother meant. The monster would be so focused on getting Mabel that he'd trip over the rock and literally knock himself out! Meanwhile, the energy and push that kept Mabel's legs running in that direction was draining. _Keep going, Mabel!_ The destination was so close. Finally, when Mabel ran around the side of the large stone, the monster's foot slammed against the edged and knocked him over. It fell and twitched, groaning lightly and it's grip on Ford loosened so that he could break free of its grasp. The thud of its crash into the dirt resounded through the forest, causing the crows to caw loudly and fly away. Dipper rushed to the scene while Mabel caught her breath. Face red, Dipper high fived Mabel.

"Nobody beats the Pines twins!"

"Yeah!" Dipper helped Ford to his feet.

"Try not to almost kill me next time!" Ford said weakly, hugging the two kids. "The last time I try to chase a monster for writing Journal 4!" He turned his head just to double check the monster wasn't going to get back up and terrorize them again and brushed the dirt off his knees. Though it'd been Ford's dream to continue his research, he had been wondering if the knowledge about some things was worth the pain of getting it. Like the knowledge of the real motives of a certain triangle.

"We should go back and write this down!" suggested Dipper, always eager to spend time with Ford. Ford usually agreed with Dipper like he did this time, which sometimes made it seem like they were the same person. It was like dealing with two Dippers that had literally everything in common to talk about. And nothing stopped them from doing so, even when Mabel complained about the "nerd talk" she couldn't understand. Maybe if she'd put effort into it she could've, but according to Mabel, Dream Boy High was much more fascinating. As Ford and Dipper chatted, they kept walking, forgetting that Mabel was behind them until Dipper looked back.

"Are you coming, Mabel?"

"Yeah, just a sec bro-bro!" Just a moment ago, a stone had caught her eye. It appeared milky white because of its shimmering in the sun. The rock was stuck mostly in the dirt, and Mabel was fascinated with it. No, not because it was unusual. Mabel enjoyed looking at anything that looked like glitter.

"Woah," she breathed.

"Mabel?" Dipper called. "I'll catch up with you guys!" she replied, waving back to them. In the distance, Ford and Dipper continued to go on tangents about quantum physics. "The monster will wake up in a few hours," warned Ford. "Don't stay for more than that." She stared at the sparkling object before her. "Now," she asked to nobody, "How am I gonna get you out of there? Candy and Grenda are gonna think this thing is so cool! If Stan doesn't try to sell it..." She looked around and saw a lichen-encrusted twig, and immediately rushed over to grab it. Mabel thrust the stick into the dirt around the crystal, attempting to dislodge it. "Come to Mabel!" She struggled, trying to pull it back up and remove the rock as well. "Oh, come on! You're a tough one, aren't you?" Mabel continued for a few minutes, but failing each time.

As Mabel sat down on the grass, an unusually cold wind blew through the woods, pulling her hair over her face. She didn't know why, but the forest's tones seemed to become more muted, and the greens of the leaves and the trees seemed to take on a bluish hint. But only slightly. As a second breeze filled the air, she couldn't help but notice it sounded like laughter. But faded, quiet, barely perceptible yet maniacal laughter. It only slightly sounded like laughter. The second wind had been stronger, and Mabel gripped on the convex edge of the ivory-toned rock as a reflex. When the wind died, the grey and blue tones disappeared from the landscape faster than a human eye could blink.

She stood back up and resumed the stick strategy, but yet again it failed to work. "Whatever," she sighed. "I bet Waddles misses me! We were gonna watch that new episode of Dream Boy High anyway..." She squealed. "I wonder who Xyler's prom date is going to be!"

She began to walk in the same direction Dipper and Ford had, looking around to see if she left anything, but anything she'd brought was with her.

Staring at the monster, she noticed how it started to twitch involuntarily. Mabel felt sorry for it, but soon enough it be back at it again. It'd wake up, regain its consciousness and then go back to chasing her, so it was best to go back to the Mystery Shack.

As Mabel took a step forward, she thought she almost heard the laughter. No, not laughter, _cackling_. The kind of soft cackling from evil children in a horror movie. But no breeze blew through. Suddenly, Mabel felt like she should turn around. A chill was racing up her spine. "Is anybody there?" she asked, startled.

She slowly turned around to the opposite direction, facing the stone. It was glowing. Not glimmering under sunlight, but actually glowing in an alien, unnatural way. "Huh?" It's glow gleamed brighter, and Mabel squinted. She used her magenta sweater to shield her eyes from the bright glare.

And then, the grey and blue tones returned, this time absolutely covering the landscape. Mabel's pupils dilated with shock. What was happening? "Dipper! Grunkle Ford!" she called desperately. But they were back at the Mystery Shack. They would've known what was happening, but they weren't there. She was terrified. Terrified and completely alone. But Mabel sensed that she wasn't actually alone, though she was. Or she thought she was.

Suddenly, the gleam of the crystal ceased. Even its sparkling. It turned a dull gray like the rest of the landscape, and then the ground started rumbling and shaking. Cracks ripped through the soil as Mabel stepped backwards and gasped, all around the stone. It seemed to be rising out of the ground, and then as she saw it, Mabel noticed it had been bigger underneath. Mabel continued to run, but the earthquakes pushed her down on her knees.

That was when Mabel rubbed her eyes. It couldn't be real... The shaking stopped, and the stone was all gray with no sparkle. It was only slightly shorter than Mabel, and it wasn't a natural stone. It was a gray statue, covered in cracks, chipping areas and green moss. As Mabel stared in denial, one little moth rested on the statue's outstretched hand. It looked so prideful, so full of itself though, ironically, it's likeness had died long ago.

 _No. He can't come back! He can't! He can't!_ Yellow light climbed up the statue, and life came back to it. For a moment that seemed frozen, it stood, with its one demonic eye closed shut. Then suddenly, it opened, revealing the pupil of a snake. Its hand clenched the moth suddenly, killing it, then opening it again. The insect fell to the forest floor, and Mabel watched its wings plummet into the soil.

The cackling Mabel had heard erupted loudly plummet to the soil. from the demon, as he focused his eye on Mabel. Mabel's jaw was dropped, as she couldn't believe that this was happening. _He was erased! We saved everybody! It all ended!_ She thought. The creature's arms rested at his side.

"Well, hello there!" The voice sounded like multiple voices joined as it echoed. "Ha, ha, you're scared of me! Let me tell you, that is hilarious! Good old Shooting Star. Did you cry after you _killed me_? I bet you did. Anybody would miss me."

"Get away from me!" Mabel yelled. "I-I...me and my brother won! You lost, and..." Bill interrupted her talking.

"I'm gonna explain somethin' to ya toots. I have quite a few friends. You know 8-Ball and Teeth, but I know a lot of people. You ever heard of the Xolotl?"

"The-Xolotl?"

"Oh, y'know, only an all-powerful Aztec deity that gave me a second chance at existence." Bill nonchalantly twirled his golden cane. Mabel's heart was beating very fast out of panic.

"That's right kid. Ha, I mean, most people would be scared to be around the remains of a brain demon, but I guess I got a little hidden from people. Not from you, though!" Mabel didn't speak. "Did I tell you I'm good at sarcasm? _It's great to see you._ " Bill continued his monologue. "You see though, the Xolotl, until he decided some fancy new form or punishment for me, trapped my soul inside that statue. But, _I'm still around_ , and all you need to do to get into the 'statue realm' where I'm stuck is to shake my hand!"

"But I didn't shake your hand!" Mabel cried.

"But you still touched the statue, didn't you?" Bill said. "You know, I wonder what Fordsie would think. 'Oh no! Bill's back! The guy _I_ betrayed and gave me everything I deserved!'"

" _You_ tried to hurt my family!" Mabel attempted to throw a punch at Bill Cipher, but Bill was only energy. She couldn't punch him. Especially not in the mindscape.

Bill's eye turned a furious red. "Do you remember nothing? Sure, yeah, you stopped my plans, but here's the thing you and your band of idiots keep forgetting. You. Can't. Kill. Me. And now, because the Xolotl's spell traps all non physical entities, you're stuck with me!"

"No I'm not!" Mabel was equally furious. "You didn't possess me, so I still have my body!"

"Au contraire," Cipher retorted. "Your _soul_ got trapped in the statue realm. Neither of us can get out of this place." His voice went deep and became distorted. "As personal revenge, I intend to make your life a nightmare."

Mabel knew how serious this was. She was stuck with her mortal enemy, and had lost possession of her body. She didn't want to know what nightmares Bill would make her suffer through.

Suddenly, blue fire erupted from Bill's fingers. His voice went back to normal. "Unless you make a deal with me. The only way I can still use my magic is through deals and hand shaking, but I can't go anywhere in your universe. Here's what I offer. You come with me to the nightmare realm, and I take you to the edge of it, where the normal world can be accessed again. There's one thing I ask for."

"What is it? It's not like I'd make any deals with you though!" asked Mabel.

"Hmm, let's discuss that after, shall we?" Bill was still playing mind games after all the time that had passed.

"I know what you'll do! You'll use me!" Mabel was still resisting, despite its inherent futility.

"Do you _really_ want the rest of your existence to be living your nightmares?" Bill implored, making a deal Mabel couldn't resist. But Bill still had the upper hand. Gaining the energy of Mabel's soul would undoubtedly be enough to heal his dimension and conquer countless others. Thousands more Weirdmaggeddons. He even had the upper hand with the Xolotl. Bill had the audacity to assume that he had the upper hand in a deal with a god. But the worst part was how true it seemed to be now. The energy of Mabel's soul could be used to defeat the Xolotl himself.

Mabel thought. She had to be there for Dipper, and Waddles, and the others. But every deal Dipper and Ford made with Bill nearly got them killed. But she didn't have other options.

"Come on kid," Bill laughed.

Mabel closed her eyes as she shook Bill's hand. The flames were surprisingly cold and icy on her warm fingers. "It's a deal," she whispered. "It's a deal."


	2. The Almighty Tortilla Chip

A/N: Alright, sorry this took forever! Thank you guys so much for supporting this, appreciate it v. v. much! I'll probably post ever 1-2 weeks, but I have another project going on too, so don't think I'm dead if I don't meet that deadline! I'll at least try to manage a drabble. Anyway, second chapter. A lot funnier than the last one, so please know I didn't lie when I labeled this as a comedy! So, please enjoy chapter 2!

Bill's maniacal cackling resumed and resounded through the vicinity. Mabel couldn't believe it. After all he'd done, all he'd said, every lie, and every person he'd hurt, Mabel had just made a deal with Bill Cipher. She'd struck a deal with the devil. Mabel gulped, and she was shaking. Chills ran down her spine like they were racing in a marathon, and pictures of Weirdmaggeddon and Mabeland were omnipresent in every place in her mind.

What now? What's gonna happen? Anxious thoughts flowed in like a flood. And that flood broke every dam holding her together. She dropped to the floor on her knees, not saying or doing. Bill Cipher's laughing ceased and its echo faded. He began to levitate and spun around her.

"Wow, this was so easy! Next time, I should try to destroy people's dimension and nearly kill their brother before I make deals with them!" He exclaimed.

Mabel suddenly snapped. "You're not going to win! I've won every time I fought you, and if you try to hurt anybody, then you'll have to face me!" Bill stepped closer to Mabel. She was looking at the ground when Bill placed his thin black hand directly under her chin and forced her to look into his beastly eye.

"Shooting star," he whispered with malice, "You should just give up already. Because I own your soul." A sadistic satisfaction could be sensed from the tones in his voice and it terrified Mabel, making her glad he didn't have a mouth. Right now, it surely would've had the most awful, toothy, evil grin. A moment stretched of Bill enjoying his terrible power over the poor girl, and Mabel's terror exponentially rising. "Well, what are we waiting for kid? Your family to come and help you? Ha, that's not happening!" Bill excitedly proclaimed. He began to float again and turned a translucent blue, Mabel looking up in awe as tears poured like rivers down her face. Suddenly, the grays and blues of the alien forest exploded into stars and darkness, and then that too bursting into neon lights and images of random items meshing as one.

It was turbulent and still, both dark and light, and it was a place where one could be right side up and upside down at once. The sounds forced together had a bizarre musical quality, and the chaotic, discordant notes strung together into a song. The skin of the universe had revealed its colors to the two beings, and for a moment, both felt like only pure energy. Time is dead and meaning has no meaning. Mabel tucked her face inside her sweater and placed her hands over her ears, but she wasn't really able to tell if they were still there at all. I want to come home! She thought, no matter how futile it seemed. The phases of the universe coming together had no pity for her cries.

And then, the blending of time and space ceased. It was sudden, and only darkness and nothing remained for a millisecond. Mabel felt herself land on solid ground, still shivering and shaking. Meanwhile, Bill's yellow color returned to him and he sank gracefully to the surface.

"Kid, you better take a look around! Everything you could ever fear, everything you could ever hate, it's all here!" He gave Mabel an icy stare.

"I want to go home," she said softly. Bill groaned.

"Look, you happened to make a pact with an evil dream demon, which isn't my problem." He shrugged. Mabel took a deep breath and stood up.

 _You can do this Mabel_. Bill rolled his one eye.

"Oh, geez! Finally, you stop whining! Now come on and follow me into the land of everything you're afraid of!" She opened her shut eyes, and everything astonished her.

The sky was stuck in an eternal state of midnight, and the groaning of monsters could be heard. Occasional violet flames stuck out of ruined buildings, and Mabel swore she saw a dragon in the distance. Buildings of every shape and size littered the cityscape, and monsters were its citizens. Terrifying, huge, ugly monsters. Mabel, though, still believed Bill was the worst out of all the creatures.

"I know, pretty great place, right?" Bill rhetorically asked. Mabel took a step backward, gulped, and then stepped forward again. She couldn't give up. If she did, her deal would be for nothing. "Are you really still afraid of being with a complete monster? You should just get rid of those stupid human feelings, just like I did. Makes life a lot easier, let me tell you."

Bill was annoyed with her demonstrations of human fear. He found it annoying when people were in terrible situations but refused to give up and resisted. Humans were terrible, and their only purpose according to Bill was to manipulate and control. But he didn't know that humans couldn't just decide to get rid of what they felt one day when it became too much to handle. They didn't work like energy beings.

"Well, I'm human whether you like it or not, you isosceles monster!" Retorted Mabel. Bill turned upside down and floated in her face.

"Oh, okay, fine. You're gonna pretend like you're a prisoner. I guess I'll have to play along. Oh! I'm Bill Cipher, nightmare demon! For fun, I like possessing children and murdering everyone you care about. How's that? That gonna work for your little game, Shooting Star?" Cipher began to laugh again, but only for a short period of time, much to Mabel's relief. Mabel frowned at him.

"You really are a monster, huh?"

"Sure I am," Bill exclaimed. "So glad you finally noticed." He turned his back to her and began to float forward.

Mabel considered running from him, running from their deal, but she knew he'd find her. When Bill wanted something, like whatever he wanted out of this deal, he'd do anything to get it. And Mabel knew there was nothing more dangerous than a determined maniac. So, she followed behind the demon, crossing her arms in fear and anxiously looking around. And so they continued in silence, both feeling seething rage for one and other. Mabel, for all the things he'd done to hurt her and her family. Bill, for dismantling his plans that would finally allow him to take over the fourth dimension (including time, of course). After a few minutes of furious silence, Bill spoke.

"And no, we can't just teleport to where we're going. Good old Xolotl decided to limit my powers. 'You can only teleport to the Nightmare Realm, Bill, but you can't teleport in it!' That idiot thinks it's fun to mess with me!" His eye turned red and he clenched his fist. Mabel didn't respond. Bill didn't care, though. He was equally tempted to give her the silent treatment. As the two enemies continued along, Mabel noticed how the streets had cracks running through them, and the buildings were getting closer. They were going into the city.

After another few minutes, the two could definitely sense that they were inside the terrifying town. Monsters crawled from every street corner, and everything was in a strangely violet tone. The streets were littered with magical items, and all that was around was ruined. The structures loomed tall against the nighttime backdrop, as beasts shrieked in the eerie dark lit only by neon lights. Any creature that saw Bill Cipher with their horrendous eye cowered or laughed.

Mabel looked so different, with her bright magenta sweater and youth, in this place of darkness and sadness. Especially next to someone as terribly evil like Bill Cipher. But Mabel couldn't help noticing that the Nightmare Realm had a certain beautiful aspect to it, and she tried to hold onto that thought. Mabel was always one to find beauty and good in everything. It was what gave her happiness in life, besides chasing crushes and solving mysteries with Dipper. She smiled a little, knowing that there was some good in this place.

But for some reason, she felt like someone was watching her, and she didn't think it was Bill. Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Is that Mabel?" No, two voices.

"Dude! I think that is Mabel! Totally tubular!" Where had she heard those voices?

"Hello?" She whispered. Then, a hand settled on her shoulder, and she turned around slowly. She gasped. "Xyler?! Craz?! You guys are here? How..." Bill turned around and his eye turned an even deeper red.

"Woah," said Xyler, "It's the tortilla chip demon that tried to kill us multiple times!"

"That's so rad!" Gushed Craz.

"I know!" Responded Xyler. Mabel hugged both the radical young men.

"How many times are you gonna come back! I can't believe you two are here!" Mabel was ecstatic.

Bill's entire body was red now. "Are you kidding me?! These complete idiots are back?! How many times am I going to have to kill you?"

"Woah, buddy," said Xyler, "Maybe you could just, like, chill. We could all be bros!" Bill's eye involuntarily twitched.

"Yeah sure. Have fun with that in the afterlife!"

"Bill, wait!" Yelled Mabel.

The demon tried to fire a blast at the two of them, but nothing happened, and nothing came out of his outstretched hand. "Aaagh! Come on! Why did he have to take all of my powers!"

And that's when Mabel realized something. Something imperative. Whatever Bill wanted was inside her, and outside of the Statue Realm, he had no powers to hurt her with. Bill was obviously going to betray her later, but until then, she could do whatever, and he couldn't harm her. She could break their deal, if he didn't give into her demands. And she was going to keep Xyler and Craz around, no matter how much it annoyed Bill.

"Hey, Bill, guess what? We have traveling companions! And they are totally radical!"

"Aaagh! No! No! No!" Bill screeched.

"Hmm," Mabel responded. "But you don't have any powers to destroy them with! Which means we keep them!" Her smile beamed. Bill was smart, and he knew it was futile to try to destroy them.

"Fine! But I can still obliterate any of you at any given time!" Bill hated this more than he hated Ford, which really said something.

Mabel high-fived Xyler and Craz.

"Wow, that tortilla chip sure has anger issues!" Exclaimed Craz.

"Eh, don't worry about it. He is afraid of salsa, though!" Mabel cheekily grinned. Bill had turned his back and was still leading them.

"I am not a tortilla chip, you moronic mortals!" Bill hated everything right now, and knew that he was going to continue hating every minute of his life from this day forward.

"Yeah, you're not a tortilla chip!" Mabel was being very audacious, but she figured that it couldn't hurt. She figured that if the Xolotl took most of his powers, he'd probably never get them back. Not at this rate. "You're an angry tortilla chip!" Mabel laughed.

"It's so adorable how he gets mad!" Xyler said.

"I have destroyed countless dimensions," muttered Bill. Mabel, Xyler and Craz kept cracking jokes, and Mabel almost forgot she was in the Nightmare Realm. There's a reason it's called the Nightmare Realm, thought Cipher. That's probably the only reason why they're here. Dealing with Xyler, Craz, and Mabel of all people on Earth made him loathe the Xolotl for taking most of his powers. And he'd probably never get them back. He could conjure whatever in the Statue Realm, but here in the Nightmare Realm, Bill Cipher, god of chaos, was as weak as the humans he toyed with. He was down to their level.

And that's when Bill had his own epiphany. If he was more like a human then a demon now, why not play along? Convince Mabel that his lack of power had made him kind and sensitive, and she'd never sense that he'd betray her. Maybe, he thought, it would even convince the Xolotl. The Xolotl would see how Bill had become good, and give him all his powers back! The plan was supposedly flawless, but Bill preferred to phrase it as genius.

He still wondered though, why the Xolotl had took most of his powers, but oddly specific ones. After all, Bill could teleport to the Nightmare Realm, but not in it, and he could only create in the Statue Realm. It was odd, but Cipher didn't fret. He was going to get exactly what he wanted.

Mabel interrupted Bill's depraved plotting.

"Hey, Tortilla Chip, where are we going?"

"I hope that there's synth pop there!" Screeched Craz. If Bill had lungs, he would've sighed.

"There will be no synth pop there, you idiots. You'll see where we're going." After two minutes of traveling, conversation resumed.

"Are we there yet?" Nagged Xyler.

"If you don't shut up, I'll destroy everything you care about." Retorted Bill. He may have decided to be nice, but it would take awhile for him to turn good, right?


	3. Merry Band of Idiots

A/N: Yes, I removed the first part of the chapter, but I will still include what happens to the other Pines, just wait! Anyway, I had some writer's block so I just wrote this. It's more filler than anything, though.

The door slammed open, and back in the Nightmare Realm, Xyler, Mabel and Craz gasped. Even more beasts were here than on the streets. Which made sense, as any monster that saw another might attack. But the ones here at least tried to suppress their intense loathing for each other. How did Mabel know?

In the building, creatures of all types sat at, occasionally floating, tables in a low-lit room surrounded with neon lighting. Some parts of the room were on fire, and nonsensical monstrous mumbling and barely understandable conversation were present. The food in this strange restaurant wasn't normal either; a few monsters ate eyeballs, arms, worms, or to Bill's horror, chips and salsa, and in the kitchen, witches' cauldrons were boiling over with messy green slime. Perhaps it was guacamole? Discordant music played in the background, but nobody seemed to care, and a few even enjoyed it despite the music sounding like slamming one's hand on a piano and then playing the recording backwards.

 _At least it's not synth_ , thought Bill. Mabel had never seen a place so familiar, yet so bizarre. But when the guests at the establishment saw Cipher and his, as he thought of them, Merry Band of Idiots, they all froze. Things shattering could be heard, and it seemed as if the whole of the place had their jaws dropped.

 _Oh no_ , thought Mabel. He'd probably made enemies with everybody here, and now that he was back, planning to do who knows what... _This is bad! Why are we even here?_

She closed her eyes, and heard Xyler whisper, "They're probably going to kill us!" and then Craz respond with a nearly silent "Yay!"

Bill seemed ecstatic to show off that he was still alive and had captured one of the children that had brought about his downfall. He placed his arms at his sides, and then his voice erupted from the incredibly still silence.

"That's right! Bill Cipher is back!" He cackled yet again, and expected screaming and intense panic. But after a few seconds of nothing, he made another comment. "What? You never seen a deranged triangle before?"

Suddenly, bursts of emotion did come from the crowd. Crazy, wild, intense, hyperactive, and utterly extreme... laughing. Even Mabel giggled under her breath. It was hilarious that he'd made that whole introduction and then was laughed at. She smirked as the words came out of her mouth.

"Hey, you guys, this tortilla chip is gonna be here all week!" Bill was even redder than all the times fury had engulfed him before. One of the monsters turned around, and Mabel noticed her pink flaming hair, and then understood why she seemed so familiar. Pyronica.

"That's a good name for him. Tortilla chip." She laughed.

"Ha, no. I'm the all-powerful dream demon that captured one of the morons that destroyed me!" Responded Bill. Though Bill was supposed to be acting nice, he didn't particularly care right now. When he was angry, logical thinking usually evaded Bill. 8-Balls, sitting next to Pyronica, butted in.

"That really is great, boss! Tortilla chip!" Another Weirdmaggeddon monster called out.

"He's a tortilla chip that owes us!" Others joined in.

"Yeah, he said we'd get a dimension and all we got were T-shirts!"

"You're the only one that made a shirt, John."

"I think the nacho's hat looks stupid!"

"He said I could eat Pine Tree for a snack but I never got to!" Now everyone was chanting.

"Tortilla chip! Tortilla chip! Tortilla chip!" They slammed their fists onto the tables and continued.

Bill shot an angry look at Mabel, but all she did was shrug and give him an innocent smile.

"All right, you..." _Be nice, Bill_ , he thought. "I admit, I kind of _do_ look like a nacho..." It took all his effort to not attempt to destroy everything in the vicinity.

"The nacho has been enlightened!" interrupted John.

"As I was saying," Cipher continued, "There's one reason I came here. I made a deal with... _Shooting Star_ here..." He hated this more than anything. Being nice was terrible. "And because humans are so wimpy and useless, and the stupid Xolotl decided I shouldn't have powers anymore..." John decided to interrupt a second time.

"I think you sound more like the wimp here."

"Nobody cares what you think, John!" Bill yelled. "Fine. Fine. I need your guys' help so that we don't fall off a cliff and die! Anybody? Do we have a deal?!"

John raised his hand briefly but slowly lifted it down. No one seemed interested, and nobody cared. Why didn't they fear or respect him? Oh, yeah. He was beaten by two twelve-year-olds.

Bill looked to his side. Xyler and Craz were still there, talking about something. Conversation had resumed amongst the other monsters, but Mabel wasn't anywhere to be seen.

No, wait. She was standing directly next to the horrendous purple beast that was Xanthar, reaper of souls. And she was feeding it candy. Candy! The creature that had destroyed worlds had been tamed by peppermints!

"You _have to be kidding me._ " Blue fire engulfed Bill's hands. Now, Mabel was petting the Beast That Shall Not Be Named and it was purring. Purring. Like a cat. Why weren't the monsters trying to destroy her? He didn't understand. He didn't understand a lot of things. The creatures surrounding her were laughing as she chatted on about something. Even the Weirdmaggeddon creatures.

As puzzled as Bill was over how she'd managed to befriend them in a matter of minutes, all he could figure out was that this was going to be a long few days. Cipher didn't know why, but deep inside, he was almost tempted to join them and their... _friendly_ conversation, though he disregarded it quickly. Feelings always got in the way of perfect plans.


	4. I Trust You

A/N: Alright! Chapter 4! FINALLY we find out what the other Pines are up to, so this chapter's a little sad. Okay, so quick recap: Mabel was separated from her body, but she's not dead, and she's currently running around the Nightmare Realm with Bill and the Weirdmaggeddon Monsters. So sorry for the long wait, but don't worry! Chapter 5 will be out in the next few days.

"Dang it, Ford," said Stan, "You're getting me emotional." Ford looked sadly into Stan's eyes and then at his own wrinkled hands. He sighed.

"Stan, we spent so much time trying to defeat him. You gave up your memories to stop him! And sure enough, no matter how hard we work, we just can't kill that demon!" Ford pounded his tightly clenched fists onto his desk, and the sound echoed throughout the ruined lab.

"If I ever see that deranged maniac and his one eye again," Stan vowed, "He's gonna wish he was dead." But even Stan couldn't pretend to be that tough for long, and tears began to well in his eyes as Ford stared at the ruined remains of the portal. "We're gonna figure this out, and he's gonna be gone for good this time." Stan tried to smile and put his hand on his brother's shoulders, but both gestures felt forced. And both brothers knew it.

"It's my fault, Stan!" Ford angrily yelled. The suddenness of his reaction startled Stan slightly, and he jerked back. "I was the one who trusted him," he continued, "Heck, I cared about Bill! If I'd been wary about these things, we wouldn't have had the apocalypse last year! You wouldn't have gotten amnesia, I wouldn't have gotten trapped in the nightmare realm for thirty years, and our grand-niece wouldn't be in some sort of magical coma right now!"

Stanley, despite its futility, decided to try to calm Ford's nerves. "Look, we defeated him all those times before, and he didn't kill her, so maybe his powers are missing. Maybe it's not even Bill."

Somehow, the words seemed to only increase Ford's paranoia. "That's just it! It's worse! Somebody as powerful as _Bill Cipher_ with a personal vendetta against us?!" Despite the terror flooding his brain, Ford understood he'd need to be calm in order to think. He took a deep breath, but his voice still shook. "I analyzed the spells cast on her, and I noticed something odd. It's similar to a possession spell, not a sleeping spell."

Stan was completely perplexed, but Ford continued. "And we know Bill was involved because the statue was near to where Mabel was, and let's not forget how much Bill loves possessing people. But she's not possessed, which could mean there's only one conclusion." As Ford finished his explanation, Stanley's eyes went wide with shock. "Bill has her trapped somewhere else, so we could break the spell if we got her back to her body."

"Then why on Earth haven't we tried to get her back yet?" Stan anxiously asked his sibling.

"But," the tone of Ford's voice became more sorrowful, "We have no idea where she could be! That's the frustrating part of it! And I don't have my journals anymore to..."

For some odd reason, Stanford Pines suddenly had the strange idea to the look directly behind him. As he slowly turned around to face his monstrous machine, he felt as if he couldn't talk. No words could describe his epiphany, and now both brothers could remember the vibrant rainbow glow of the portal lighting up as a powerful burst of energy linked together two realms.

Memories of the terrible place he'd been to flashed before Ford, and that was when he knew. "Stanley," he breathed, "If we get the right materials, it could be fully operational once again."

Stanley nodded, and thought of Mabel. A minute of silence passed, until he spoke to nobody in the room. "We're coming, kid. Don't worry about anything." Now, both the men knew what was next as they called for Dipper, Wendy and Soos to come down to the basement. They were going to the Nightmare Realm.


	5. Second Chances

A/N: Last chapter was a ficlet, but hey, we're back to long chapters! This is really where Bill's redemption begins, and I decided to give Pyronica a role. Honestly, though, I based her personality off of Wendy's (and Sardonyx's) because I really just cannot come up with anything. The title is also named after the Imagine Dragons song, btw. And to my readers: thanks for everything!

Mabel hummed softly and occasionally discordantly, making Bill wish he had ears so he could plug them. The melody was vaguely familiar, but Bill couldn't precisely remember what the song was called. Ordinarily, he would've threatened the life of anyone that dared to annoy him, but he needed to act nicer to put on his facade. No matter how much he didn't want to. So, he went with a question.

"Uh, Shooting Star," he implored, "What'cha humming?" Mabel was a little confused because Bill wasn't usually interested in others unless he meant to exploit or kill them.

The two sat on the couch in Pyronica's flaming apartment, complete with the occasional piles of various magical items sitting on the floor, which was encrusted with spots of pink glitter. Small parts of the ceiling and walls were missing, and occasionally boarded up with rusty nails and redwood. Her clocks also ran backward at an unnaturally fast pace.

Mabel took a sip of the odd, slimy "tea" Pyronica had given her and replied to Bill's original query. "I can't remember, but I know it's a good one. It's kinda jazzy, though, don't you think?"

Bill muttered a quick "Yeah," but he noticed how Mabel had become more used to his presence. This only gave him greater satisfaction when he imagined obtaining her soul and exacting his revenge. Sure, he could've done that anytime, but he loved lulling people into a sense of friendship and trust and then betraying expectations. It was just what he did.

The pair sat in silence until Pyronica strolled back into the decrepit living room, clearing her throat.

"Hey, toots." Bill floated over to Pyronica. She rolled her eyes.

"God, Bill. You're just as annoying as ever."

Bill glared at her. "Look, I know I owe you one, but it's not my fault two kids decided it'd be _fun_ to kill their new dimensional overlord!"

Eavesdropping on their conversation, Mabel slyly grinned. "Is this your _girlfriend_ , Bill?" She teased.

"What?! No, no, no, no!" Bill frantically motioned that they were not a couple, seeming quite embarrassed. But Pyronica just chuckled slightly.

"You know, Bill, there was that time..." She said calmly, winking and then pausing for a moment to get to the punchline. "...You almost got a date with Ford's geometry sketches!"

Mabel and Pyronica burst out in maniacal laughter while Bill turned red out of fury, yet restraining himself for his act.

That was when Mabel decided to join the fun. "Hey, Pyronica! Girls don't like him because he's so _two-dimensional_!" The laughter resumed, and Bill remembered the deal he'd made once with another teenage girl. Safe to say, it was the last time he'd ever agreed to anything involving the words "slumber" and "party." He'd shrunk down to avoid some chaos and got confused for a nacho with a top hat by one of the guests. And now, the cackling of Pyronica and Mabel had brought back those awful memories.

"Ha, ha, we all think my embarrassment is hilarious!" Bill sarcastically replied, shooting Pyronica a look.

Pyronica rolled her eyes and sat down next to Mabel on the couch made of dragon skin and leaned back. "Yeah, Bill. It's almost as funny as your failure to take over _one_ dimension." Though the mood was light, she sighed heavily. Mabel giggled when she rested her magenta hand on Mabel's head. "I'm glad you didn't though! I thought humans were... _not fabulous_ to say the least, but this little sister proved me wrong about that! I mean, their dimension apparently has something they call 'clothes'!"

Mabel proudly beamed, showing off her shooting star sweater.

"I don't know how you got stuck with a loser like Bill Cipher," said Pyronica, "But until you two find out a way to get out of here alive, you're stuck here. Point is, you guys can crash here for a night because Mabel's pretty cool, even if you're an idiot, Cipher."

"Yay! Girls' night!" Mabel screeched in response after high-fiving Pyronica.

Bill hadn't originally wanted to agree to Pyronica's offer to let them come to her house, but Mabel was human. She needed to sleep and eat, and Bill was flat broke. Yes, Mabel was technically separated from her body, but the Nightmare Realm was like the mindscape; things appeared to take on a physical form, but just like in nightmares, one could get hurt if they weren't careful.

But after Mabel and Bill had gone to that restaurant and Mabel had befriended the Weirdmaggeddon monsters, and Bill had ditched Xyler and Craz, Pyronica had offered to help them out. After all, they'd need to be careful in a place like this.

Nighttime in the Nightmare Realm looked nearly the same, but the sky had become slightly darker and the stars shined brighter. One could also hear the screeching of nocturnal beasts as the noise echoed through the city.

Mabel stared out the decrepit window, watching the silhouettes of monsters fly by and faint stars softly twinkle. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that she was back in the Mystery Shack, and that Dipper was right next to her, but she couldn't convince herself. That sense of safety and security eluded her. Not even in her dreams, for every dream she had became a nightmare. How many times was she going to watch her family be hurt or relive Weirdmaggeddon? She didn't want to know.

Meanwhile, Bill sat alone on Pyronica's dragon skin couch, not doing much. He didn't sleep like humans or other monsters did, and without any deals to consider or schemes to plan, he buried himself in memories. Bill could remember the faces on his throne of human agony, and the smiling faces of his friends as they watched the small town of Gravity Falls burn to ashes. It was all he'd ever wanted; power, revenge and limitless freedom. The euphoria from the moment took over his mind, and for a moment, he forgot he was utterly alone, powerless, and weak.

And as far as his "friends" were concerned, dead. And they hadn't _ever_ cared, had they? They had no reason to, because Bill really was just a bully. All that they'd ever wanted was to mooch off the rewards of Bill's actions and never given a real thought to whether he was even alive. But who's fault was that? He'd been alone the whole time. And then again, Bill was always alone, and he didn't have to wonder why.

The demon opened his one shut eye, and awful reality sank in. He desperately wished it was an illusion. Perhaps that's why his specialty was nightmares, as his own life was a nightmare he'd created.

With nothing else to do besides regret and drown in anger and sorrows, Bill decided to go check on Mabel. He rightly figured she wouldn't be able to sleep because of the nature of the dimension they were in; the magic affected the mind, too. Floating towards the room's door, he understood that this was the perfect opportunity.

He didn't really care about Mabel's emotional state, but he'd given into boredom and knew an act of kindness would quell any distrust towards him.

Mabel seemed slightly startled when the door creaked slightly and Cipher levitated through the doorway, but she was more curious as to why the demon had come in here.

"Bill?" She asked tiredly.

"Hey, Shooting Star, why aren't you sleeping?" Bill replied, pretending to be clueless.

"Nothing, I... just keep getting bad dreams."

Cipher sat down next to her, but he couldn't think of anything to say because he wasn't exactly used to being nice. "They're not real, kid. They're just thoughts." He shrugged.

It was quiet for a moment, and even the monstrous screeching from outside ceased for a second or two.

"Do you get bad dreams, Bill?" Mabel softly questioned him.

The triangle sighed. "I don't dream. I don't even sleep. But I know what it's like to have a nightmare. Sometimes, I'll remember something and I can't stop thinking about it." Bill hated this, but he was a professional liar. The words just came to him. "But then I think of something I like, for example, uh..."

Bill couldn't think of anything other than destroying his mortal enemies, but Mabel interrupted. "Like having kittens for fists!"

She smiled and Bill forced a laugh. "Sure, kid, but that might be somebody else's nightmare."

Mabel was getting increasingly happier, but if Bill really wanted to sell this act, he needed to be drastic. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a futuristic switch on the side of the wall. "Shooting Star, wait a second." He flipped it and the ceiling seemed to disappear, revealing the glittering night sky.

The demon floated back to Mabel's side and the two stared up, Mabel in awe.

"They're so...glittery!" She said as a red meteorite arched across the sky.

"You gonna make a wish on yourself?" Bill teased as Mabel laughed softly.

But to Bill Cipher's surprise, she asked him what he wanted to wish for.

"What do I wish for?" _Besides the destruction of the Pines?_ "I wish for..." He attempted to think of something generic, but he almost felt like the answer he gave was from his non-existent, icy heart. Barely. Or perhaps it was the sick satisfaction of knowing you had the upper hand in a deal. "A real friend," he said quietly.

But just as soon as the feeling had gone through him, it had disappeared. Mabel stared at him, shocked that an evil dream demon would have such a response. Still she kindly whispered to him. "I'll be your friend, Bill."

The brief feeling resumed in Bill, but then it disintegrated once again. Mentally, he noted he'd never had these emotional surges before he'd been erased by Stan.

"Kid, you can be my friend tomorrow. You gotta sleep." He said, trying to seem as innocent as possible.

"But what if the dreams come back?" Mabel's voice shook a little.

"Do you really think that anything besides you and Pine Tree can beat me? I'm not gonna let something hurt you." Even when Bill wasn't trying to act selfish, he still couldn't help bragging. It made putting on the whole act more tolerable.

To his comment though, Mabel replied only with a smile and a very uncomfortable hug, plus a yawn. She lay back down on the temporary bed she'd set up in the nearly empty room, and Bill pulled the blanket over her, and noticed it was made of more exotic monster hide.

That was when relief flooded him. Good ol' Shooting Star, had considered him, at the very least, not dangerous, and pretending to be a better person had been less tedious than Bill had expected. After all, he'd gotten rusty on pretending since betraying Ford.

But he was perplexed over how natural it had felt to act like that, because it hadn't felt that way before Weirdmaggeddon. Though that didn't bother him.

Even if he impulsively, and without thinking, placed his hand Mabel's forehead and watched his hand light up in a teal tone and then faded back to normal. When the glow ceased, he snapped out of it and realized what he'd done. His powers were supposed to have been gone, but he'd just given Mabel one of his good dream spells.

Bill had absolutely no idea how, and he certainly hadn't intended to, making him think something suspicious was going on. The suspicion was fueled further, when later, he was minding his own business in Pyronica's living room and a glitch ran through him. It was very, very, slight, but his form distorted for a split second before returning to normal. Normal for Bill, at least. Still though, he felt terrified, not knowing what was happening.

He hadn't noticed Pyronica standing in the hallway, either, standing in shadow.

"Something's changed, hasn't it?"

Bill however, was more concerned with Pyronica's habits. "What are _you_ doing watching me?!"

"I have my reasons," she nonchalantly verified, looking bored.

"Nothing is different, anyway," Bill muttered.

"I figured. It's gonna be worse than _bubbling_ her this time, isn't it?"

Bill glared at the wall and didn't respond to her comment.

She stared daggers at the triangle, and sighed. "You're a monster, Bill. I thought for a moment that maybe this girl and feeling exactly what you caused for so many people might give you some empathy, but I guess old habits die hard. If I were you, I'd think this through so I wouldn't have history repeat itself and do something I regret." With that, she walked back to her room, leaving Bill alone again.

He'd noticed she'd barely talked during Weirdmaggeddon, but maybe after the whole ordeal, she wasn't that afraid of him. After all, if two kids had defeated him... But that didn't faze Bill. What did, even if it wouldn't usually, was her words.

The demon didn't consciously care, but they seemed to evoke that ever brief feeling again. It was even shorter than it had been before. No, it wasn't the same as it was before. First, it had been euphoric, kind, warm. This was different. It felt in between sorrow and empathy, but Bill wasn't sure. It had been so short. He tried to ignore it, thinking it wouldn't matter. His plan would succeed and he'd be on the top again. The best part was, there would be no Pines standing in his way.

But it was hard to focus on when he was more puzzled by the second miniscule glitch that ran through him like a burst of electricity.


	6. Liar, Liar, World On Fire

A/N: Quick little chapter. Ugh, writer's block.

"Alright, so the big point is, we're gonna have to go through here, and then we'll be near the edge and you can get back home." Bill pointed to locations on a map, and it seemed simple and straightforward, but then again, nothing on this journey had been straightforward. Just walking to the outskirts of the city had been filled with the trials of avoiding thrashing beasts.

"But... how?" Mabel looked at the big, ominous forest and gulped. If the city had been filled with dangers and monsters, then this place was even more so. She didn't want to know what was hidden in the shadows cast by branches.

Meanwhile, Bill was actually quite excited, as anything with monstrous or horrific qualities usually appealed to him. "By not getting killed, Shooting Star! Honestly, a huge forest filled with terrifying things seems pretty fun."

"You're sick, Bill."

"I know! How long did it take you to notice?"

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Well...I guess there's gotta be something good in here, like, maybe..." She thought for a moment. "A tree that grows marshmallows on it!"

"A...marshmallow tree? Personally, I think human blood tastes better than marshmallows!" Bill meant it as a joke, but Mabel cringed when she took it literally. Perhaps he should've told the joke before nearly destroying reality and proving his true capacity for complete evil.

"No, no, Shooting Star, I'm just kidding!" He laughed and Mabel awkwardly chuckled in response, a little terrified. How could she not be?

"Uh, well, this dark, ominous forest isn't gonna explore itself!" She smiled, gulped, and walked forward into the deep green abyss, with Bill floating behind her. It was even darker than in the city, with the trees casting the area in shadow. But Bill's form created a soft yellow glow, illuminating the immediate vicinity.

The leaves underneath Mabel's feet crinkled and cracked, and she felt the weight of her backpack cutting into her shoulders, causing her to adjust it slightly. The bag carried things Bill had embezzled or Pyronica had given them, and were mostly just basic survival tools. _Mostly._ Mabel had insisted on keeping a worn down notebook so that Dipper could see what they'd encountered when she got back home.

These woods did look familiar to Bill, with the dark toned leaves in colors of red, green and purple. Little mushrooms glowed softly underneath fallen logs, and cawing could be heard from creatures something like birds. It didn't terrify him, because he was used to it. The entire realm reflected his personality, and the kind of terror and sadistic satisfaction built into the veins of this place was impossible to ignore. Almost like it was made to keep him here.

Mabel tried to keep her spirits up, and the place did have a kind of bizarre appeal. But there was something nagging at her that wasn't the creepiness of these woods. As she crawled over a large mossy log, she made up her mind to speak it.

She took a deep breath as she and the dream demon walked forward. "Bill?"

"Yeah, Shooting Star?"

"Why... were you nice to me?"

Bill paused for a moment. Humans were curious creatures, after all, and had to know the exact meanings behind his actions. Considering his motives, though, it was a smart decision. The demon didn't know how to respond to Mabel's query, however, without arousing suspicion.

"I just thought you wouldn't be able to sleep. I mean, if you're gonna fulfill your end of the deal, I gotta keep you alive, right?" He couldn't help but notice how cold and emotionless his words felt, though he didn't care.

"But you were nice to me. Usually, you aren't nice to people, you just..."

Bill interrupted. "There are tons of things you don't know about me, kid. Lots of things."

Mabel was confused, still. What he had said to her had felt warm and personal, not something that sounded like Bill Cipher would say. One word he'd said echoed through every corner of her mind. _Friend_.

"Then," she spoke, "You...just want me to be your friend?"

The demon felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't justify saying _that_ with trying to keep Mabel alive. He couldn't just say that he was with absolute certainty, as that would be a dead giveaway. If he rushed it, she would know it was all a ruse.

"I...well, we're gonna be stuck here. And I don't think either of us want to be at each other's throats. Besides, kid, sometimes it's lonely being me." He'd of course lied again, even when sometimes he was a little lonely. Bill was relieved that everything was going to plan, though.

Mabel didn't really know how to feel about this, letting the memories flow into her mind. She remembered the first summer she and her brother came to Gravity Falls, this being the second. How Dipper had told her to trust nobody. And to always be careful. Mabel felt a bit of regret stir inside her, because she hadn't listened to either pieces of advice. Now, she was stuck in another dimension with a floating tortilla chip that had questionable motivations.

Mabel bit her lip. She had no idea what to say next. Was Bill her friend, or was this a trick? Was there good in him, or was he just out to get him. His change over the course of a day, even if it had seemed like a long one, was kind of eerie. Suspicious even.

Bill however, was more perplexed over his glitch. He hadn't experienced another one this day, and he didn't have the slightest clue what caused the pair of anomalies. The demon tried to piece the evidence together, but it didn't form a coherent picture.

The two both considered everything that was happening, walking deeper into the dark night, with the wind rustling the branches of the spindly trees that surrounded them. As minutes dragged on, the woods appeared to become darker and deeper, and maneuvering in the thick layer of brush was getting increasingly difficult. The girl could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as every little creak and noise became louder and more ominous.

The triangle, though, was unfazed, if not a little giddy. Nightmares, creepy noises. He made a mental note to include these in his next depraved scheme. But he was a little confused when it definitely sounded like somebody was hiding amongst the bushes and trees.

"Bill, what _is_ that?" Mabel anxiously took a look around.

"I don't know, probably just some terrifyi-" Bill's words were cut off when, suddenly, a beast jumped out of the eerie plants, and Mabel gasped.

"Hey-O!" Called Teeth, covered in mud and leaves, but seeming excited either way.

Bill suddenly realized that this could only end badly.


End file.
